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Q: What operations and valued assets is 3M™ Novec™ 1230 Fire Protection Fluid used to protect?
A: Novec 1230 fluid is designed to help protect continuity of operations because, unlike water, it does not damage electronic
equipment and the critical data stored on it—to keep your business up and running. It also protects valuable assets
including everything from paper archives and historical documents to priceless works of art and antiquities. To learn
more about specific industry applications, download one of our brochures.
• 3M™ Novec™ 1230 Fire Protection Fluid for Telecomm & Data Centers 1464.0 kB
• 3M™ Novec™ 1230 Fire Protection Fluid Oil & Gas 923.0 kB
• 3M™ Novec™ 1230 Fire Protection Fluid Flightline Applications 699.25 kB
• 3M™ Novec™ 1230 Fire Protection Fluid Marine Application 1086.0 kB
• 3M™ Novec™ 1230 Fire Protection Fluid Museums & Archives 765.0 kB
Q: Can I purchase a Novec 1230 fluid fire suppression system from 3M?
A: No. 3M manufactures Novec 1230 fluid but the actual sales and installations of the systems are through our OEM
partners and their global distribution networks. Novec 1230 fluid is a recognized component of a listed or approved
system, e.g. UL and Factory Mutual.
Click here for our full list of approved system manufacturers.
Q: Is there a requirement to have a dedicated ventilation system to remove Novec 1230 fluid after a discharge?
A: An active mechanical process that is designed to remove Novec 1230 fluid/gas from the protected space is not required
by the industry standard, NFPA 2001. That said, the designer of a system using Novec 1230 fluid may consider use of such
a ventilation system on a case-by-case basis if conditions warrant, similar to what has been done in the past with halon.
Q: Does the noise from a system discharging Novec 1230 fluid cause damage to hard disc drives?
A: Damage to hard disc drives has not been observed as a result of a discharge of a system using Novec 1230 fluid.
For inert gas systems, noise at specific decibel levels and frequencies has been tied to HDD damage. Volume, tone
and duration of the noise are all important factors. The duration of discharge for inert gas systems is up to 12 times
longer than halocarbon systems, such as those that use Novec 1230 fluid. Efforts are now underway to design inert gas
systems to minimize noise at the nozzle.
Learn more in the Clean Extinguishing Agent System Noise and Hard Disk Drive (HDD) Failure FAQs (PDF, 111 kb).
Q: What are the advantages of using 3M Novec 1230 fluid compared to inert gas?
A: Owners of inert gas systems have become keenly aware of the hidden costs of installing, housing, maintaining and
recharging inert gas systems.
On a volume basis, inert gas systems must deliver more agent into a room to displace as much as 40% of the air in a
protected space—compared to approximately 5% with a system using 3M Novec 1230 fluid. This translates into many
more cylinders of inert gas required to protect a given space. In addition, the cylinders store gas at much higher pressures.
Both the greater number of cylinders and the high pressures at which these systems operate represent additional
expenses, or “extra” installation costs that may not be readily apparent in the initial bid. For example, the added
construction costs associated with over-pressurization may not be included in the cost of system installation, but are
necessary expenses associated with installation. In addition, the larger amount of space required for the higher quantity
of inert gas cylinders translates to higher real estate or space costs.
The high pressure at which inert gas systems operate also requires more frequent and rigorous maintenance to ensure
that it can withstand the high discharge pressures. At regular intervals, maintenance teams validate system pressure and
the integrity of the hoses, pressure vents, and cylinders.
Learn more about how 3M Novec 1230 fluid compares to inert gas.
Safety FAQs
Q: Is this product safe for human occupancy?
A: Yes. 3M Novec 1230 fluid currently provides the largest margin of safety of any clean agent and is approved
for use in occupied spaces by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In its approval of 3M™ Novec™
1230 Fire Protection Fluid, the EPA noted that the fluid “provides an improvement over use of halon 1301,
hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in fire protection. …. because it reduces overall risk
to public health and the environment…”
Learn more about our margin of safety compared to other clean agents in the Novec 1230 Fluid brochure (PDF, 1.4 mb).
Q: When designing a fire suppression system using 3M Novec 1230 fluid, how are agent concentrations maintained
after discharge?
A: Systems using Novec 1230 fluid are designed to flood a space with the gas to a design concentration. This design
concentration is maintained by ensuring that the space has integrity (no leaks or minimal leaks) to maintain the required
concentration for the required hold time, usually 10 minutes as a minimum. According to the 2015 edition of NFPA 2001,
paragraph 5.6, “A minimum concentration of 85 percent of the adjusted minimum design concentration shall be held
at the highest height of protected content within the hazard for a period of 10 minutes or for a time period sufficient to
allow for response by trained personnel.” This requirement also exists in other, similar standards.
Sustainability FAQs
Q: Why should I choose 3M Novec 1230 fluid rather than an HFC fire suppression systems?
A: As of October 2016, HFCs like Chemours’ FM-200® (HFC-227ea) and FE-25™ (HFC-125), as well as Fike’s ECARO-25®
(HFC-125), are scheduled for global production phasedown under the Montreal Protocol. FM-200® and other
hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are following the path of halon. Although these HFCs are clean agents that do not deplete
the ozone layer, they are potent greenhouse gases—more than 3000 times more potent than CO2. The European
Union’s HFC phasedown started in 2015 under the F-Gas regulations and the HFC phasedown in the United States and
other developed countries begins in 2019 under the Montreal Protocol.
Because fire suppression systems are often intended to last for 30 years or more, FM-200® and other HFCs have
become unsustainable clean agents. Novec 1230 fluid provides the fire protection industry with an agent that will
stand the test of time based on its safety, performance and environmental properties. Novec 1230 fluid has no ozone
depletion potential and a climate impact less than CO2 and it’s not targeted for phasedown or phase-out.
Learn more about how 3M™ Novec 1230™ Fire Protection Fluid stacks up against the competition.
Q: How can I stay up to date on environmental regulations impacting the fire suppression industry?
A: Visit 3M.com/NovecHotTopics to access our insights on the latest developments from around the world. Written by
the makers of 3M Novec products to enhance the knowledge and insight of experts like you, this is the place to learn
about the forces shaping your business and get the help you need to make informed choices about your fire protection,
cleaning or other industrial applications.
Q: Can 3M guarantee that Novec 1230 fluid will not be subject to environmental restrictions in the future?
A: While no one can accurately predict what the future will bring, 3M is so confident that Novec 1230 fluid will not be
affected by any environmental mandates that it offers the 3M™ Blue Sky Warranty.
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Read the Blue Sky Warranty flyer (PDF, 248 kb) for more information.
A: The 3M™ Blue Sky Warranty states, for a period of 20 years after original installation and subject to noted
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requirements, that 3M™ Novec™ 1230 Fire Protection Fluid, installed in an approved fire suppression system, will not
be restricted for use in fire protection due to its Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) or Global Warming Potential (GWP)
and is not targeted for phasedown by the Montreal Protocol, nor subject to the European F-Gas Regulations targeting
the phasedown of production and import of HFCs into Europe; and will not be affected by U.S. EPA SNAP regulations
which would render it either unacceptable or acceptable subject to narrow use limits.
Read the 3M Blue Sky Warranty (PDF, 223 kb) complete terms and conditions.
Q: Why is 3M Novec 1230 fluid considered a “third” generation fire suppression clean agent?
A: The halon family of fire protection products was widely utilized as the first of the new clean agents. These products were
popular because they would extinguish a fire without damaging the contents of the space being protected, such as the
early computer server rooms. However, in 1987, halons were regulated by the Montreal Protocol because they contributed
to the depletion of the ozone layer. In response to the mandates of the Montreal Protocol, manufacturers developed
replacement products for halons known as HFCs including FM-200®, the second generation of clean agents. While none
of these products contributed to ozone depletion, they do have other environmental concerns such as high global warming
potential (GWP) and the resulting regulatory consequences addressed above.
Novec 1230 fluid is a third generation clean agent because it was developed to provide high performance and a large
margin of safety without harming the environment.
Q: Water is sustainable too. Why would Novec 1230 fluid be used rather than water mist?
A: Water mist is still water. It is wet and messy, electrically conductive and can require costly clean-up. It can destroy the critical
assets that keep businesses running. Because water mist is not a clean agent, it is not covered by NFPA 2001. Instead, it is
covered by another standard: NFPA 750 which notes, “The standard does not provide definitive fire performance criteria, nor
does it offer specific guidance on how to design a system to control, suppress, or extinguish a fire.”
FM Global’s Data Sheet 5-32 states: “When it is essential to reduce equipment damage from an incipient fire to
minimum possible levels, or to facilitate the return to service, provide an FM Approved clean agent fire extinguishing
system with detection to protect the data equipment within the data processing equipment room. This is to supplement
the automatic sprinkler or water mist system protecting the facility or raised floor.”
The 3M™ Novec™ Brand Family The Novec brand is the hallmark for a variety of proprietary 3M products. Although each has its own
unique formula and performance properties, all Novec products are designed in common to address the
need for smart, safe and sustainable solutions in industry-specific applications. These include precision
and electronics cleaning, heat transfer, fire protection, protective coatings, immersion cooling,
advanced insulation media replacement solutions and several specialty chemical applications.
3M™ Novec™ Engineered Fluids ■ 3M™ Novec™ Aerosol Cleaners ■ 3M™ Novec™ 1230 Fire Protection Fluid ■ 3M™ Novec™ Electronic Grade Coatings ■ 3M™ Novec™ Electronic Surfactants ■ 3M™ Novec™ Dielectric Fluids
Regulatory: For regulatory information about this product, contact your 3M representative.
Technical Information: The technical information, recommendations and other statements contained in this document are based upon tests or
experience that 3M believes are reliable, but the accuracy or completeness of such information is not guaranteed.
Product Use: Many factors beyond 3M’s control and uniquely within user’s control can affect the use and performance of a 3M product in a particular
application. Given the variety of factors that can affect the use and performance of a 3M product, user is solely responsible for evaluating the 3M
product and determining whether it is fit for a particular purpose and suitable for user’s method of application.
Warranty, Limited Remedy, and Disclaimer: Unless an additional warranty is specifically stated on the applicable 3M product packaging or product
literature, 3M warrants that each 3M product meets the applicable 3M product specification at the time 3M ships the product. 3M MAKES NO
OTHER WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OR CONDITION
OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OR CONDITION ARISING OUT OF A COURSE
OF DEALING, CUSTOM OR USAGE OR TRADE. If the 3M product does not conform to this warranty, then the sole and exclusive remedy is, at 3M’s
option, replacement of the 3M product or refund of the purchase price.
Limitation of Liability: Except where prohibited by law, 3M will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from the 3M product, whether direct,
indirect, special, incidental or consequential, regardless of the legal theory asserted, including warranty, contract, negligence or strict liability.
Electronics Materials Solutions Division 3M and Novec are Trademarks of 3M. Blue Sky is a service
3M Center, Building 224-3N-11 Please recycle. Printed in USA. mark of 3M. Used under license by 3M subsidiaries and
St. Paul, MN 55144-1000 USA ©3M 2017. All rights reserved. affiliates. FM-200 is a trademark of The Chemours Company.
Phone 1-800-810-8513 Issued: 4/17 12481HB ECARO is a registered mark of Fike Corporation. All other
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